It is really hard for me to put limits on my work now that I am self-employed. I'm not necessarily addicted to the money, but I am addicted to saying "yes." The problem with this addiction is that there are few consequences aside from the loss of free time. Like you said, more work = more money when you are self-employed.

We live in an inexpensive area, and I prefer it for many reasons. It is easier to have a large living space and a yard for the kids, for example. I have no desire to live in a big city, but I do love visiting!

I like taking a few days off with the kids at home from time to time. We don't have to do anything exciting to have fun! I wouldn't necessarily count is as a vacation, but it is definitely quality time.

We have all kinds of investments (401K, SEP IRA, ROTH IRA, HSA, real estate), but we have never done peer-to-peer lending. The last time I checked, people in Indiana weren't legally able to invest in the primary peer-to-peer market. I'm not sure if that has changed.

I need a few more hours in the day. I tend to get up early if I need to get "extra" things done. I admit it- I am awful at budgeting my time. I am great at staying focused during the day but my evening "free" time disappears quite easily.

I think the government should make it easier for people to refinance their loans at today's low rates. It makes no sense to me that that hasn't happen yet. I DO NOT believe we should seek out full forgiveness. There is no money, people!

These are all good reasons. We track our spending and it makes all the difference. It's much easier to stay on budget when we check in with our spending in "real time" throughout the month and see how we're doing.

In my opinion, the only way to improve your skills is to keep practicing and honing them. Unfortunately, that is the only way to turn any talent you have into a marketable skill. I am hopefully getting better at my job as time goes along. I should- because I spend 40 hours per week practicing my craft.

I like it! It is definitely worth it to invest in yourself and your business if you want to succeed. Those investments don't necessarily need to be financial, though. Like you said, networking can be huge and generally doesn't cost a thing.

I agree with you that people in Minnesota love their seasonal weather! Greg's parents are getting a fish house for the lake this summer and already know they're going to drag me out there. People in Indiana try *not* to go outside when it's freezing and miserable!

My #1 tip is to start a blog so people can find you. My #2 tip is to be easy to work with. I know a lot of editors who prefer to deal with me instead of other people because I respond to emails promptly and do things to make their lives easier.

Life and health insurance, right? I can't remember, but I think they had a problem with health insurance too. They couldn't afford the treatments that he needed and they were hundreds of thousands of dollars. He didn't want to leave his family with all that debt.

We already discussed our finances in the early days of our relationship. We were both broke so we were always trying to figure out ways to keep our long-distance relationship afloat with our limited budgets.

I wish I could outsource more. I am such a control freak! For example, I would really like someone to come and clean my house BUT I am afraid they won't do it right. I can just see myself re-cleaning everything once they leave and feeling resentful about it. Ugh!